Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 23.1

Fu Linling’s heart skipped a few beats.

She quickly calmed down and surrendered: “Let’s draw it somewhere else.”

Lin Ran chuckled.

She knew that even though Dr. Fu had a sudden mid-life rebellious streak, she was fundamentally a decent person.

“Where should I draw it?”

“The leg,” Fu Linling usually wore long trousers to work, occasionally a long skirt, but rarely exposed her thighs.

To be safe, she decided to have it drawn on her thigh.

Lin Ran checked her phone. It was almost Fu Linling’s bedtime. “It’s too late today. It needs time to dry, or it’ll smear easily. How about we do it tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

Fu Linling went to the kitchen to decoct her medicine, set an alarm, and then went to take a shower. She left her phone on the table: “If the alarm rings later, could you turn off the heat?”

“Sure.”

A little later, the phone rang.

Lin Ran picked it up. It wasn’t the alarm, but an incoming call.

She didn’t answer.

The phone rang twice more. She went to the bathroom door and knocked: “There’s a call that keeps coming through for you.”

Fu Linling turned off the water and asked: “Whose call is it?”

“I don’t know. No saved name, just a string of numbers.”

“Then please answer it for me. It might be a telemarketer.”

“Alright.”

The phone rang again. Lin Ran took the call: “Hello?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before a sweet female voice asked: “You’re not Senior Sister. Who are you?”

It seemed to be one of Fu Linling’s junior mentees. Lin Ran said: “She’s still in the shower. If it’s important, you can call back later.”

“Okay.” The person immediately hung up.

When Fu Linling came out of the shower, Lin Ran relayed the message: “It was one of your junior mentees. She probably needed something. I told her to call you back later.”

“A junior mentee? Did she say her name?”

“No.”

Fu Linling had many junior mentees and couldn’t immediately recall who would be calling her now, so she didn’t worry about it. She figured she’d find out when the person called back. However, the call never came.

The next day, Fu Linling rushed home after work. After dinner, she took off her outer pants and lay on the bed, as instructed by Lin Ran.

Lin Ran entered the room in her loungewear, carrying the dye. Her eyes flickered at the sight of Fu Linling’s fair, long legs.

“You’re sure this can be washed off, right?” Fu Linling asked, confirming for the third time.

“Yes, it can. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let you play with it,” Lin Ran said.

“Then go ahead.” Fu Linling leaned against the headboard, staring at the things in Lin Ran’s hands.

“Are you sure you want this whale, too?” Lin Ran pointed to her own arm.

“Mhm, it’s pretty.”

“Alright.” Lin Ran took off her shoes and sat down next to her leg, her gaze scanning Fu Linling.

On top, she was wearing an apricot-colored shirt, the fabric soft and close to the skin, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her hands hanging naturally. And on the bottom… she was actually wearing safety shorts.

True to form for the proper and old-fashioned Dr. Fu.

Lin Ran placed her finger on Fu Linling’s thigh, estimating the spot: “Is this position okay?”

There was no answer.

She looked up and saw that Fu Linling seemed a little nervous, her entire body very stiff. Lin Ran smiled and pressed the top of her thigh: “It won’t hurt. Relax.”

Thanks, now I’m even more nervous.

Fu Linling lowered her gaze to Lin Ran’s fingers, deliberately trying not to think about the skin she was touching. Her tense body slowly relaxed.

Lin Ran picked up the dye and bent over, beginning to draw on her leg.

She drew slowly; she was still new to this, and one mistake would ruin the whole thing.

Even though Fu Linling reassured her that no one would see it even if she made a mistake.

Lin Ran focused intently on applying the dye, while Fu Linling focused intently on her.

Lin Ran was very serious when she worked, often forgetting her surroundings, and unaware of how attractive she looked at that moment.

Her hair obscured most of her face, revealing the sharp point of her chin below her nose. Her thick eyelashes blinked occasionally. Fu Linling found herself completely engrossed.

The room was silent, silent, with only the faint sounds of Lin Ran working.

After more than an hour, Lin Ran finally straightened up, rubbing her stiff neck: “I’m still rusty, so it took a while. Take a look, are you satisfied?”

Fu Linling lowered her eyes, looking at the lifelike whale on her thigh. She loved it.

“It’s really well drawn.”

“Wait two hours before taking a shower,” Lin Ran set down the dye and kneaded her stiff neck.

“Are you very tired? Let me give you a massage,” Fu Linling offered.

“Go for it. Let your side business open for the day.” Lin Ran didn’t stand on ceremony. She turned over and lay face-down on the bed, reminding her, “Be careful with your movements, don’t smudge the dye.”

“Okay.” Fu Linling looked at her own thigh, carefully knelt on either side of Lin Ran, and reached out to give her a massage.

“Wow, your technique is really good. You’re a dentist, so how do you know the pressure points so well?” Lin Ran turned her head to the side and asked.

“I learned it in a general education course,” Fu Linling said.

“That’s excellent. This side business is thriving. I’ll hire Master Fu next time. Give me a friend discount, huh?”

Fu Linling smiled. After giving her back a general massage, her fingers touched Lin Ran’s cervical spine: “The effect is a bit poor through the clothes. Can I reach inside to massage this area?”

“You can.” When Lin Ran usually went for a spa, her upper body was bare, let alone just the neck area.

A moment later, a hand reached inside her collar, meticulously massaging every bone joint around her neck. It was painful and comfortable at the same time.

She moaned and groaned for a while. Suddenly, she didn’t know which specific point the other person pressed, but a tingling sensation spread throughout her body, and her voice abruptly changed pitch.

Fu Linling froze, noticing that Lin Ran’s body involuntarily shuddered, her legs tensing. She looked up and saw the other woman slowly turning her head back, lying on the pillow, exposing only a pair of red-hot ears, playing dead without a sound.

After that, neither of them spoke again. Even when the massage was painful, Lin Ran gritted her teeth and didn’t make a sound.

The room returned to silence, but this time the quiet was different from the previous tranquility; it was filled with awkward and ambiguous elements.

“All done.”

Fu Linling moved to the side. Lin Ran sat up, pretending to be calm, said thank you, and took her things and left.

Luckily, she quickly slipped out with her head down, so she didn’t realize that Fu Linling’s expression wasn’t much better than her own.

Fu Linling touched her cheek, got up, and went to the study to get a book, hoping to calm her mind.

On her way back with the book, she bumped into Lin Ran in the hallway.

Lin Ran first noticed her legs, which looked even longer in the safety shorts. She looked up at Fu Linling and smiled: “Perfect, I’ll give it to you now.”

Fu Linling looked at her curiously, then saw her take out two one-hundred-yuan bills and tuck them into her shirt pocket.

“Master Fu’s hard-earned fee. I’ll hire you again next time,” Lin Ran said and returned to the room.

Fu Linling lowered her head and looked at the bills sticking out of her pocket, then looked down at her own nearly bare legs. She had the distinct feeling of having earned prostitution money and couldn’t help but be amused.

The next day, Fu Linling woke up to find the dye had set. It looked exactly like a real tattoo.

She looked at herself in the mirror, then couldn’t resist taking a picture and sending it to Ms. Xu Yanyan.

Ms. Xu Yanyan quickly replied with question marks, then asked if she had lost her mind.

She smiled to herself, feeling a touch of the thrill of rebellion, and then explained that it was just drawn on and that Lin Ran had done it for her.

On Saturday morning, the Chief organized an exchange meeting and selected several doctors to attend. Fu Linling was among them.

After the meeting ended, Fu Linling lagged a few steps behind, walking out with her advisor. “Advisor, are you free tomorrow? I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

Tomorrow happened to be the advisor’s birthday. It was a rare chance to see him, and Fu Linling wanted to celebrate with him.

“I certainly have time, but you don’t need to treat me. Your Senior Aunt will be here tomorrow, and a few other students are here as well. Your Senior Aunt said she’ll host the meal,” the advisor chuckled. “Bring your little wife along, and let’s all eat together.”

“Okay,” Fu Linling smiled. “I’ll ask her.”

When Lin Ran heard the news, she was a little incredulous: “I’m going too?”

“The advisor hopes you can come, but if it’s inconvenient, it’s alright,” Fu Linling said.

“It’s convenient, but I’m just a little surprised.”

A Ph.D. advisor—that must be a seriously impressive person. She suddenly felt a little timid, afraid of looking bad and embarrassing Fu Linling.

“I probably won’t have anything to talk about with them. Won’t I look very dull then?”

“Dull?” Fu Linling subconsciously imagined a silly image of Lin Ran and found it adorable, but still decided to respect her choice. “If you don’t want to go, just stay home and play. I’ll be back soon.”

Lin Ran pondered for a moment, then decided to go: “I’ve never eaten with so many highly educated people before. It might be good to soak up the atmosphere.”

Fu Linling laughed: “What highly educated people? They’re all just people who wield knives.”

Lin Ran was amused by her description.

In the afternoon, Fu Linling went out to choose a birthday gift. Lin Ran went with her, mainly to get some fresh air and do some window shopping.

Although the advisor was from a science background, he had refined tastes. He enjoyed practicing calligraphy at home and preferred tea to alcohol.

Fu Linling chose a set of the Four Treasures of the Study and two tins of tea. After checking out, the rest of the time was spent accompanying Lin Ran shopping.

Lin Ran had no particular goal, wandering wherever she pleased. She visited cultural and creative stores, jewelry shops, and toy stores, buying whatever caught her eye.

When they passed the clothing section, Lin Ran suddenly looked at Fu Linling: “What are you planning to wear tomorrow?”

“Just… the clothes I usually wear,” Fu Linling said.

“Come on, I’m taking you to buy some clothes. You have such a great figure, it’s a waste not to dress up.” Lin Ran pulled her arm and walked into a store. After browsing, she picked out two dresses and asked her to try them on.

One was a dark blue slip dress with a deep V-neckline. Fu Linling covered her chest and awkwardly walked out.

Lin Ran’s eyes lit up. She moved Fu Linling’s hand away, scrutinizing her from head to toe: “You look like a supermodel. It’s so beautiful.”

“This one… isn’t quite appropriate, is it? We’re seeing the advisor tomorrow.”

“Then try the other one.”

The other outfit was closer to her usual style: a uniquely designed shirt paired with a well-tailored short skirt, the length just above the knee, perfectly covering the drawn tattoo.

“Let’s go with this one. It makes your legs look longer,” Lin Ran said.

Fu Linling glanced at her. She wondered if it was her imagination, but did Lin Ran seem particularly fond of her legs?

She had never worn such a short skirt, but Fu Linling decided to buy it anyway.

When she changed back into her own clothes and was about to check out, Lin Ran had already paid and walked over with two shopping bags.

Noticing her puzzled expression, Lin Ran smiled: “It’s a gift for you, consider it payment for the meals these past few days. I haven’t given you your allowance this month yet, so let this stand in for it.”

“The allowance isn’t nearly this much,” Fu Linling said.

“We’re family, what’s with the formality? If you feel bad about it, just keep shopping with me for a bit longer.”

While having dinner, Lin Ran asked about her relationship with her advisor.

“He was both my Master’s and Ph.D. advisor. He teaches rigorously yet with humor, holding nothing back, and he’s always generous with the bonuses for our projects. He and Senior Aunt chose to be DINKs (Double Income, No Kids), and they care a lot about us students. When there are holidays, they often invite students from out of town to eat at their house,” Fu Linling said.

“He sounds like a wonderful teacher. Then lots of people must want to be his student?”

“Yes, he’s the most popular advisor in our institute, but he’s very strict when selecting people.”

“You followed him for both your Master’s and Ph.D., which means you must be excellent for him to choose you,” Lin Ran said.

Fu Linling met her bright gaze and smiled: “Mhm.”

After dinner, Lin Ran went back to the study. Fu Linling assumed she was working and didn’t disturb her, continuing to read academic literature.

She only went in to say goodnight when it was time for bed, and found that Lin Ran wasn’t drawing on a digital tablet, but on a scroll.

“What are you drawing?” She walked closer and saw a landscape painting.

Overlapping small mountains, scattered cottages, and two children washing watermelons by a stream.

The scene was full of artistic charm and an added touch of cuteness.

“A gift for your advisor. Is it nice?” Lin Ran asked.

“It’s truly beautiful. You specially prepared a gift for him?”

“I didn’t have anything else to do today, and I haven’t painted ink wash in a while, so I’m a bit rusty,” Lin Ran dipped her brush. “You should go to sleep first.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

“I don’t know when I’ll finish this. Go to sleep quickly. Your company here actually slows down my efficiency.”

Fu Linling had no choice but to go to bed. The next morning, she immediately ran to the study to look at the painting.

The details in the painting were much richer than the night before, looking completely natural. There was also Lin Ran’s inscription on the side.

She carefully touched the scroll, feeling a little envious of the advisor—envious to the point of jealousy.

She made breakfast and then went to wake Lin Ran up.

This was the first time the two of them had sat down to eat breakfast together since moving in.

Lin Ran only had time to brush her teeth before coming to eat. Yawning, she asked: “Did you see the painting?”

“I saw it. It’s very beautiful.”

“That’s good. It should be fine to fool a layperson like you,” Lin Ran laughed.

Fu Linling glanced at her, took a bite of egg, and then looked at her again: “Can I also have a painting like this for my birthday?”

“You want one?”

“Mhm.”

“Are you sure? This isn’t worth much, you know. Why don’t you switch it out for a more expensive gift?”

“I think it’s priceless.”

Lin Ran burst out laughing: “Fine! If you like it, then that’s what it will be.”

After eating, Lin Ran went back to the room to spruce up for a bit before leaving with Fu Linling.

The advisor was staying in a hotel these past few days, and the restaurant was right next to the hotel.

Fu Linling walked to the private room, knocked, and then pushed the door open: “Advisor, Senior Aunt.”

“Linling, you finally arrived. It’s truly been too long.” Senior Aunt stepped forward eagerly and hugged her, then looked at Lin Ran behind her and asked, “This must be your wife?”

“Yes, her name is Lin Ran.” Fu Linling turned and introduced them to each other: “Ran Ran, this is Senior Aunt.”

Lin Ran was momentarily taken aback by the use of that nickname. She paused before looking at the well-mannered middle-aged woman: “Hello, Senior Aunt.”

“Hello, hello. You’re so beautiful. Linling has excellent taste! Come in and have a seat quickly,” Senior Aunt said.

A few people had already arrived. The advisor sat at the head of the table, with a few students next to him—students who were here on the project, who had only heard of Fu Linling but had never met her.

“Advisor, happy birthday.” Fu Linling presented the gift to her advisor.

“Coming here is enough; why bring gifts?” The advisor took it with a beaming smile, glanced at it, and said, “I’ve had my eye on this set for a long time but never brought myself to buy it. Thank you so much.”

Fu Linling smiled and then said: “Advisor, Ran Ran also prepared a gift for you.”

“Oh, really?” The advisor was a little surprised, looking at the girl she brought along. Today, she was wearing a white long-sleeved dress, looking pure and pretty, completely different from the wild image he had seen before.

“Dr….” Lin Ran swallowed the word ‘Doctor’, glanced at Fu Linling, and then smiled as she handed over the scroll: “Linling said you enjoy calligraphy. I’m embarrassed to show off my meager skills, so I only brought a painting. I hope you like it.”

“Oh my, this is wonderful. Did you paint this?” The advisor unrolled the painting, adjusting his glasses to look closely. The students nearby also gathered around to admire it, praising it enthusiastically.

Senior Aunt looked at it for a few moments, then immediately snatched it away, staring at the inscription and praising it repeatedly: “Excellent calligraphy, excellent calligraphy!